Lasting-tack puller.



W. L. THORNE.

LASTING TACK FULLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1914.

Patented June 23, 19M

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH CO-IWASHINGTON D. c.

WALTER I. THORNE, OF CINCINNATI, OHlEO.

LASTING-TACK PULLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1914.

Application filed March 18, 1914.. Serial No. 825,534.

a citizen of the United States, residing at- Cincinnati, in the countyof Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain'new and usefulImprovements in Lasting-Tack Pullers, of which the-following is aspecification.

Lasting-tacks are employed in the'manufacture of shoes to temporarilysecure the upper of the shoe in stretched relation over the last. Theselasting-tacks are supposed to be removed from the shoe during its courseof manufacture, so that the finished shoe shall not contain the same. Inpractice, however, due to negligence, lasting-tacks at times remain inthe shoe, so that when the shoe is tried on or worn, the presence of thelasting tack is discovered. It has heretofore been adifficult operationto remove lastingtacks of this character from the shoe, for the reasonthat the point-ends of the tacks extend into the interior of the shoe,the headend of the tacks being between the turnedover portion of theupper and the outer sole, or between the outer sole and the insole ofthe shoe, and because these lasting-tacks are liable to be adjacent tothe edge or at the extreme toe-end of the inner portion of the shoe,where it is extremely difficult to reach the same. It has been found inpractice, that unless lasting-tacks of this character are entirelyremoved, that they will cause annoyance or pain to the wearer of theshoe from time to time, even if the tacks are snipped and blunted byhammering from time to time.

It is the object of my invention to provide an improved lasting-tackpuller, by means of which it is possible to reach all portions in theinterior- 0f the shoe for gripping the lasting-tack and pulling the sameout of the shoe bodily.

The invention will be further readily un derstood from the followingdescription and claims, and from the drawing, in which latter:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved lasting-tack puller, shownin operative position in a shoe, the latter being shown in perspectiveand partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improveddevice. 'Fig. 3 is a plan section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a vertical section taken on a line' corresponding to the line 4-4:of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 55 ofFig. 3. Fig. 6 is an end view of the claw-head, the stem being shown insection on the line 6'6 of Fig. 2; and, Fig. 7 isa perspective andenlarged view of the head-end of my improved device shown in a shoe inposition of use, the shoe being partly broken away. I A shoe'isexemplified at 11, in which a lasting-tack 12 is shown in one of theforms and relations in which a lasting-tack of this character is leftafter the completion of the shoe. These lasting-tacks usually extendinwardly above the insole 13 of the shoe, and in practice are sometimesstraight and at other times bent in various ways and projecting indifferent directions in the inside of the shoe. The head 14 of thelasting tack is usually between the inturned edge 15 of the shoe-upper16 and the outer sole 17 of the shoe.

My improved device is arranged so as to engage the inwardly projectingportion of the shank 18 of the lasting-tack in such manner that thelasting-tack is thereby raised from the insole, if it lies flush with oris adjacent to the insole, and may be shifted or straightened out forproper gripping thereof by the lasting-tack puller, preparatory to thepulling of the lasting-tack out of the shoe by my improved device.

My improved lasting-tack puller is shown at 21, and comprises a stem 22which has a bend 23 therein, for forming an upwardly and outwardlyextending portion 24 and a substantially horizontally and inwardlyextending portion 25 of the stem, at the outer end of which latterportion an acute bend 26 is formed, from which a claw-head 27 extendssubstantially parallel to the substantially horizontally extendingportion 25 of the stem.

Several claw-teeth 31,31, 32, 32, are

formed on the claw-head, for forming a plurality of lasting-tack slots33, 34, 34, between them. I prefer that the outer ends of the claw-teeth31, 31, project in advance of and between the claw-teeth 32, 32, for thepurpose hereinafter explained.

The tack-slots 38, 34, 34, preferably have comparatively wide outwardlyflaring months 35, 36, 36, and side walls in rear of said wide outwardlyglaring mouths, the side walls of having a lower edge 39, which iscompara tively sharp, for indenting the shank of the.

lasting-tack, the proximate lower edges of the respective slots,however, preferably not approaching each other sufficiently closely tocause a clipping or cutting of thetack, the inner end wall 40 of theslot being pref erably blunt and substantially perpendicular to theplane of the lower face 41 of the claw-head. The side walls of therespective slots, above said lower edges 39, are formed with alongitudinalrounding, as shown at 42, for forming upper inwardlyprojecting edges 4-3 at the upper ends of said walls. The outer ends ofthe teeth slope downwardly and outwardly toward the lower faces of saidteeth asshown at 44 forbeing readily received under 5 the points or theshanks of the tacks that may be closely pressed against the insole oftheshoe.

If it is desired to'remove a tack, the clawend of the instrument isintroduced into the shoe, with its claw-end at about the location oi thetack,-and thenmoved about and manipulated by the handle 45 until thetack is contacted. My improved device is then manually manipulated untilthe tack enters one of the slots. The form of the device, as well as thearrangement of the teeth of the claw head, permits the stem of thedevice to be projected in various directions with relation to the shoe,either parallel to the length of the shoe or crosswise of said length,so that a lasting-tack in the middle of the sole of shoe, or at the sideedge or extreme toe ofthe shoe may engage in one of the slots. Thesetacks are liable to extend in any direction, or be in any relation totheinsole. For instance, the outwardly and downwardly tapering outerends of the teethpermit ready engagement of the teeth, the outer ones ofwhich are shown shorter than the inner ones, under the tack,irrespective of its location in the shoe, and the comparatively widemouths of the slots insure entrance of the tack into one of the slots.As soon as the tack enters one of the slots, the comparatively sharplower edges of the walls of the slot will dig slightly into the oppositesides of the tack for getting a firm grip thereon, a severing of theshank of the't'ack being'however avoided by the spacing between the sidewalls and the form of the slot.

It is advisable that the shank ofthe vtack be projected upwardly priorto'the pulling action of the device. Thisisreadily accomplished by theform of'the walls'o'f'theslot,

wherein the upper edge of the wall forms an inwardly projecting ledgeadapted to engage the shank of the tack above its lower end, in whichrelation, if a slight turn is given to the stem of the puller about itsaxis, a straightening'ot the tack is effected, for permitting readypassage of the walls of the slot lengthwise of the tack.

When the ta ck has been firmly engaged by the walls of one of the slots,it may be readily pulled out of the leather and through the insole,either by a turning movement of the puller about the axis of'its stem,or by -a leverage motion obtained by tilting the puller either upon thetoe-ends 46 of the claws or upon the heel-end 47 thereof, orby a directpulling upon the puller longitudinally of its shank.

Having thus fully described my inven tion, what I claim as new anddesire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

1. A lasting tack puller comprising a stem-portion and a reverselyextending clawhead extending substantially parallel to saidstem-portion,saidclaw-headcomprisingclawteeth having a lasting-tackshank-receiving slot between themthe walls of which are formed withproximate lower sharp edges projecting toward each other and arrangedfor'indenting the side ofthe shank of said lasting-tack, mutuallyreceding grooved portions above said lower edgeswhich extend lengthwiseof said walls, and'upper proximate edges which project toward each otherabove said last-named wall-portions lengthwise of said walls, and saidlast-named proximate edges being spaced apart a greater distance thansaidfirst-named proximate edges.

2. A lasting-tack puller comprising a stem-portion and a reverselyextending clawhead connected with said stem-portion by a curve andextending substantially parallel therewith, said claw-head comprisingseveral claw-teeth located side by side and having a plurality oflasting-tack receiving slots therebetween, the sides of said teethforming the side walls of said slots having lower proximate edgesextending toward each other, the outer ends of said teeth beingtapereddownwardly and outwardly for forming widening months for said slots, andsaid slots having-blunt inner ends, whereby said lower proximate edgesof said side walls of said slots are arranged to indent the shan {S ofthe lastingtacks and the rear walls of said slots are arranged forpreventing severance of said shanks.

3. A lasting-tack puller comprising a stem-portion and a reverselyextending clawhead connected with said stem-portion 'bya curve, saidclaw-head being substantially parallel to said stem-portion, saidclaw-head comprising several claw-teeth located side by side having aplurality of lasting-tack re- In testimony whereof, I have hereuntoceiving slots therebetween the outer ends of signed my name in thepresence of tWo subwhioh have outwardly flaring mouths, andscribing-witnesses.

the inner ones of said teeth being longer WALTER L. THORNE. 5 than therespective outer ones of said teeth, Witnesses: 4

substantially as and for the purpose speci- CHARLES E. WEBER, fled.THERESA M. SILBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0."

